12 NEWS DEFENDERS: River Region awash in 'caller ID spoofing'

Before
you answer your next phone call - it may not be who you think it is on the
other end.

The Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission are
trying to come up with ways to stop telemarketers from transmitting false
information to you caller ID, but the problem persists, and now some folks in
the River Region are dealing with it.

The term is 'spoofing'. The FTC and the FCC both have rules against it. That
could add up to tens of thousands of dollars in fines for telemarketing
companies caught doing this.

But both commissions admit they're having
trouble enforcing them.

In Prattville, Cheryl Lee felt a little unsettled when her phone rang and her
caller ID showed her own name and number.

She answered the call, and heard a
recording offering to lower her credit card interest rate. That was all
Lee needed to hear before she hung up. But she says other people she knows are
experiencing similar calls and she wants to make everyone aware.

"Just
to try to warn people, and let them know this is happening," says Lee. "For
them to use a local number that's not connected with them whatsoever, to me
just seems like it's not a very good business practice, or it's just not on the
up and up."

Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange's office has received several recent complaints
about spoofing. While investigators there look into the complaints, they
recommend reporting the issue to your phone provider if you've received these
calls, and notifying the FTC.

Defenders

Parents say a Montgomery Public School bus driver is putting their children in harm’s way. They obtained video of the bus driver texting behind the wheel, and still the parents say they were unsuccessful in resolving the issue with the school district.

Parents say a Montgomery Public School bus driver is putting their children in harm’s way. They obtained video of the bus driver texting behind the wheel, and still the parents say they were unsuccessful in resolving the issue with the school district.

DEFENDERS

The Alabama Electronic Security Board of Licensure says there are approximately 700 home security providers, but there are a few unlicensed individuals who will prey on the elderly. (Source: WSFA 12 News)

Charlotte Blake got a taste of what it’s like to be confronted with an unscrupulous home security salesman.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will conduct five public listening sessions to determine how the state’s portion of a federal settlement with Volkswagen should be used to reduce diesel pollution...

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Blogger Sarah Carlson says she's tried dozens of money saving apps, and narrowed it down to the five she keeps on her homescreen for savings, starting with an app that pays you just for walking in the store - Shopkick.

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